Incendie mystérieux

Chapitre 62

Since then, Anlin and he had more and more contact. She often saw him carrying books, moving between the various teaching buildings, looking like an ordinary student under the protection of his black-rimmed glasses, no longer as conspicuous as he did at the gym. Once, they happened to be studying in the same classroom. Baihu was holding a book of advanced mathematics, burying his head in his hands, deep in thought for a long time, his brows almost furrowed, looking like he had encountered a difficult problem. So she made an excuse to go over to him.

"I'm not very bright, and I get completely lost when I see all these messy mathematical symbols," he said with a pained expression, struggling to speak for a while before finally managing to say, "Could you... help me out?"

At this moment, not only his face but even his ears were burning red; despite his tall, mature body and handsome, dashing face, he felt like a child, ashamed of his own stupidity, too embarrassed to even ask for help, his face flushed with embarrassment. When he looked at her with those blue eyes that seemed as clear as the highest layer of the sky, her heart began to pound.

Under Anlin's tutoring, whose grades were almost always above 90, Baihu's grades improved dramatically. He was actually very intelligent, but Anlin noticed that he seemed to lack some basic systematic knowledge. It was as if he hadn't received formal schooling from a young age. While he was familiar with general life knowledge, his knowledge of astronomy, geography, history, and culture was shockingly lacking. For example, he had no idea who Copernicus was, nor did he try to find out. "I only need to know the fact that 'the Earth revolves around the sun,' that's enough," he told Anlin. "As for who first proposed it, who perfected it, who conducted experiments to prove it, that's none of my business." In other words, he approached knowledge with a purely practical attitude, showing no interest in its origins or development. She was quite curious about his past, but no matter how she subtly probed, Baihu always evaded the question, refusing to reveal the truth. Perhaps he carried a painful past, she thought, and couldn't help but wonder what kind of beautiful parents could have given birth to a son as dazzling as a star.

As for the West Campus classes the following week, she had planned to take the school bus. But when she rushed out of the classroom, she found Baihu and his bike blocking the lobby of the Second Teaching Building. "Excuse me," he adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the bookish K University student, "I think I've forgotten where the Third Teaching Building is again. Could you take me there?"

She laughed. Every week thereafter, without her asking, Baihu would take her there on his bike. She believed she was upright and honest, and that her relationship with Baihu was just normal friendship; there was nothing to hide, so she was fearless. But secrets don't stay hidden forever, and rumors gradually reached Lonely Ox's ears. He didn't believe them at first. His relationship with Anlin had been good lately, and his left ear hadn't been ringing—meaning Anlin wasn't unfaithful to him. However, unable to resist the gossip, he decided to see for himself.

He saw a tall boy riding a mountain bike, brazenly loitering near the entrance of the second teaching building, completely ignoring the surprised looks from his classmates. The bell rang, and a mountain of students poured out. Lonely Cow stared wide-eyed, searching for a figure—he saw that figure leap out nimbly, landing squarely in front of the boy—wasn't that An Lin?

His breath turned icy cold in an instant; he could feel nothing, hear nothing, his eyes were only on that petite figure, that lovely face, who was happy because of the boy's conversation—the poisonous vine of jealousy silently entwined his heart, she had never laughed so happily when she was with me!

He snatched a classmate's bicycle and sped after them. Anlin, sitting on the back, seemed completely oblivious to him, continuing to chat with the boy as the wind blew her long hair behind her, making it flutter gracefully.

They suddenly stopped, whispering amongst themselves, then turned into a narrow alley. Lonely Ox waited for a long time, but no one came out. He couldn't wait any longer, gritted his teeth, accelerated, and rode into the alley. He silently prayed that he wouldn't see what he feared.

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Third Movement: The Sick Half-Eared Man (Part 7)

"What are you doing..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw An Lin and the boy raise their faces simultaneously, along with a man squatting on the ground. Each of them wore a mixture of surprise and confusion. In front of the man stood a wooden sign that read "Bike Repair," and he was holding a mountain bike tire in his hand.

Oh no! They went in to fix bicycles! Lonely Cow realized his mistake in an instant, feeling both ashamed and angry.

"What are you doing here?" The first to question him was, as expected, An Lin. She immediately understood Lonely Ox's intention, and her anger flared up instantly.

At this moment, Lonely Cow repeatedly complained that he had been too rash and had only upset her. Knowing he was in the wrong, he would have immediately apologized to her in a humble voice under normal circumstances. But bowing his head in front of so many strangers was simply too much for him; otherwise, what would become of a man's dignity? Moreover, the tall young man had his arms crossed, a wicked smile playing on his lips, as if he were waiting to see a good show.

Lonely Cow didn't have time to think. He grabbed An Lin's slender wrist. "Come with me," he said. "I have something to tell you."

"What are you doing? Let go!" An Lin's fierce resistance was unexpected. "Don't pull me! It hurts!"

Lonely Cow had to stop, though he still held An Lin's hand tightly, but with much less force. An Lin was still crying out in pain, a bright red welt now marred her fair skin, a shocking sight. He was already in a state of utter confusion, and now that boy had interfered. "Hey, kid," he said sternly, "she told you to let go, are you deaf?"

He took a step forward, his tall frame and confident stride suggesting he was a formidable fighter. Lonely Cow suddenly felt he looked vaguely familiar; a thought flashed through his mind. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "You're that Teacher Bai!"

Unexpectedly, even after resigning, he was still harassing An Lin... How shameless! Lonely Cow was instantly enraged and, disregarding everything else, roared at him, "So it was you! You're not even a student at our school, yet you're always loitering around here. What the hell are you up to!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Anlin couldn't help but defend Baihu, "He's in class at school..."

Lonely Cow chuckled coldly. "Going to class? I'm afraid it's not that simple." He suddenly pointed at An Lin. "Don't think I don't know anything. Actually, you often hide in various corners of the school, spying on my girlfriend, right? Actually..."

Before he could finish speaking, An Lin gasped in surprise, her petite body trembling violently. Her rosy face flushed crimson.

"Hmph, that's hilarious!" Lonely Cow continued his tirade, venting his frustration. "Don't you realize you're so conspicuous that you've already been recognized! You don't even deserve to be called a stalker!"

White Tiger laughed easily, a laugh that showed his indifference but made Lonely Ox feel uneasy.

“Go on,” he said, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. “I remember there are many more heroic deeds to tell. Please continue.”

Lonely Ox clenched his fist, almost forcing the words out through clenched teeth, "What exactly are you up to? Speak!"

Baihu looked up at the sky helplessly. "Sigh, you've made such a pathetic unrequited lover sound so pathetic. I might as well just jump off a building and kill myself."

"You..." Lonely Bull trembled with rage. Although he had already guessed his purpose, the way White Tiger spoke so casually and frivolously was still unbearable. Truly shameless! "I'm An Lin's boyfriend!" he shouted, puffing out his chest. "I won't allow you to touch a single hair on her head, do you hear me?!"

Baihu suddenly chuckled. "Strange," he said, his gaze sweeping over Anlin, who dared not look up under his intense stare. "It seems we all forgot to ask for her opinion, didn't we? After all," he grew bolder, daring to stare directly at Anlin as he slowly stepped forward, speaking tender words, "who she likes is the most important thing, isn't it?"

The closer he got, the more handsome and charming his smile became. Baihu's sincere and tender eyes were filled with an overwhelming, unyielding affection, so much so that even Lonely Ox dared not look directly into them, let alone Anlin, the person directly involved. Anlin's feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch. As Baihu drew closer, even closer, his outstretched hand about to grasp Anlin's—Lonely Ox closed his eyes and delivered a solid punch.

The white tiger fell to the ground with a "thud".

Lonely Cow was stunned, never expecting his opponent to be so weak and easily defeated. He stared at his fist in disbelief, while An Lin let out a soft gasp.

A trickle of blood slowly flowed from the white tiger's nose.

"Teacher Bai!" An Lin rushed over, asking about his injuries with concern. Bai Hu shook his head, gently wiping away the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. "I'm fine," he said with great effort, managing a painful smile. "He didn't hit me too hard. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry..." All Anlin could do now was apologize.

“It was my own fault for not standing properly, it’s not his fault…” He looked back at the bicycle repairman, who had been grinning from ear to ear watching the commotion, completely forgetting that there was any bicycle repair involved. “By the way, aren’t you in a hurry to get to class? You’ll be late if you don’t go now.”

“But…” Anlin was torn, “your injury…”

"You guys go first!" As if he had made up his mind, Baihu ruthlessly pushed her out. "I'll leave later."

With her mind set on attending class, An Lin glanced at him longingly before slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking away. As for Lonely Cow, who followed closely behind her, she didn't even give him a second glance. Even though Lonely Cow apologized profusely the entire way, she remained silent, continuing on her way in quiet contemplation.

Judging that they were already far away, White Tiger leaped up from the ground, full of energy and showing no signs of injury whatsoever. Of course, how could Lonely Ox's light punch possibly harm him?

He quickly walked out of the alley, hid in a more secluded spot, and dialed a number. A woman's voice, which he hadn't heard in a long time, came from the other end of the line:

"How's your matter going?"

The white tiger laughed smugly, a smile laced with venom that sent chills down one's spine:

"all the best."

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Third Movement: The Sick Half-Eared Man (Part 8)

The woman on the other end said sourly:

"It seems you're obsessed with that low-level campus love triangle!"

Baihu pretended not to notice the jealousy coming from the radio waves and continued speaking nonchalantly:

"How nostalgic! This feeling of pure love is just like you from so long ago."

The woman was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her voice:

"Don't forget, I only let you go because you said you were in a hurry to get revenge. You should know that I'm extremely busy here, and there are many more things waiting for you to handle. If you're really that free, you might as well come back and help me."

She stopped, and then her voice came through the phone clearly:

"I need you, White Tiger."

The white tiger's fake smile vanished, and he suddenly became serious:

"Pandora, don't you want revenge?"

A barely perceptible glint flashed in his usually indifferent eyes, revealing a slight ripple in his normally cold heart. "Don't tell me you've forgotten the 'crime' he committed against the two of us..."

"Don't call me by that name!" the woman burst out in a low voice, then quickly softened her tone as if realizing her outburst. "To me, you will always be the bodyguard hiding in the box to surprise me, so I also hope..." She suddenly fell silent.

She hoped the white tiger would press her for answers, so she could then naturally reveal what she wanted to say. Dolly, in your presence, I will always be Don Dolly.

However, the white tiger only let out a cold laugh. The laugh was like a cold wind brushing against her skin, making her shiver slightly.

“I don’t care what you want,” he finally spoke slowly, “but helping you succeed is of utmost urgency, while revenge can wait.” He smiled maliciously, “Anyway, that guy has endless time…”

Hanging up the phone, a shadow inevitably fell over his usually sunny and handsome face. He had been with Dolly for far too long, so long that she considered herself his possession, unwilling to leave him for even a moment. Yes, he had initially liked Dolly, not just out of simple lust for a beautiful woman, but because he and Dolly shared a similar fate. This was why he spent far more time with Dolly than with other women; all the women wanted him, wanted to possess this man whose exterior was as dashing and handsome as the sun, but whose blood flowed like a serpent, whose heart beat with a coldness. He had no other talents, only a natural ability to seduce women, to exude an irresistible allure—and it was precisely because of this that he could thrive in the underworld. Dolly loved him, but she loved power even more. To get what she wanted, she didn't hesitate to push him out, with tears in her eyes, to act as her male escort. No, it's not just about sleeping with powerful producers, investors, and their wives; it also involves bribing influential figures in the entertainment industry and wielding the pen of entertainment reporters.

He did a great job. Dozens of people (both men and women) offered to keep him as a sugar daddy, and dozens more suggested he enter the entertainment industry and be groomed into a superstar with a hefty sum. But he just smiled and shook his head.

He didn't want to attract attention. He wanted to bloom quietly in the darkness, becoming the most dazzling firework of the day in an instant before falling like a shooting star. That was what he longed for, wasn't it?

During his time at school, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest, and he could breathe in the fresh air he hadn't felt in a long time. Now that Dolly was calling him back, he was probably going to throw himself into his busy "work" again.

He felt a pang of melancholy, but he immediately suppressed the thought. "I am destined to destroy everything around me. I have no human emotions... I am just a puppet created by my father... How could someone like me be reluctant to leave?" He thought to himself, dragging his feet along.

However… he hesitated and stopped, there was still one thing he hadn’t finished…

An Lin rushed to the classroom, but before she even reached it, the teacher's loud voice rang out. She stood at the door, her palms sweating as she gripped the doorknob. Finally, she gritted her teeth and, under the watchful eyes of her classmates, blushed and slipped into the classroom.

However, she couldn't calm down at all. The scenes from just moments ago kept replaying in her mind, her heart a tangled mess of emotions. Good heavens! She had no idea that Mr. Bai had always harbored a secret crush on her—he was so handsome, while she was so ordinary! Although she admitted she was fairly good-looking, at least above average among girls, Mr. Bai was simply extraordinarily handsome…! How could they possibly be a good match!

Besides, there was absolutely no possibility between them. She didn't deny having feelings for Teacher Bai; after all, it was always pleasing to have a super handsome guy showering her with attention, but that didn't equate to "liking" him! She had always been picturing a prince charming in her mind: handsome, intelligent, gentle, considerate, capable, brave… Bai Hu's only redeeming quality was his looks. As for his intelligence, he perfectly embodied the old saying, "all brawn and no brains," and was indeed not very bright, which explained why he could only attend a sports school. Although he was kind of cute when he was silly, someone like that could hardly be considered a prince, right?

But what about Lonely Cow? A faint thought surfaced in her mind, and she couldn't help but sigh softly. She hadn't originally intended to accept Lonely Cow's love. Although he was intelligent and capable, he was too impulsive and often acted rashly. Plus, he wasn't good with words and didn't know how to charm girls—he wasn't really her type. However, things are unpredictable. In the "Ivy League Ghost House Incident," the first person to rush to her rescue without hesitation, even risking his own life, was Lonely Cow. When the two of them were trapped inside the photograph, told they would never escape, when she was sobbing in fear, it was still Lonely Cow who resolutely took her hand.

He said he would protect her for life, even in the two-dimensional world.

She gently grasped her face, feeling her cheeks burning red. To be fair, Lonely Cow was quite good to her, although many of his actions seemed childish to her, ultimately due to his youth and immaturity. Perhaps she should forgive him this time…? she murmured to herself.

No, we need to see how he tries to apologize! Another voice said firmly, "If he dares to do it again, he will be executed without mercy!"

Finally, get out of class ended. She deliberately packed her bag slowly, falling behind everyone else. It was lunchtime, and soon she was the only one left in the classroom. The door was gently pushed open, and without even lifting her eyelids, she knew it must be Lonely Cow coming to apologize to her.

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Third Movement: The Sick Half-Eared Man (Part 9)

A shadow moved slowly down the classroom steps, blocking the midday sun in its path. Anlin pretended not to notice anything, waiting for him to reach her. "Hi!" he greeted her warmly, but the voice didn't belong to Lonely Cow.

She looked up in surprise, only to be met with Baihu's bright smiling face.

An Lin's face flushed crimson. Bai Hu's words, which sounded like a confession, still echoed in her ears in the alley. Now he had followed her into the classroom. How could she face him?

"Hmm," she responded faintly. Now that she had decided on the direction of her heart, she shouldn't get entangled with others anymore. But even so, her heart was still pounding, and the blood in her body was rushing. "Is something wrong?" She didn't even have the courage to look him in the eye, and only asked in a low voice.

Baihu's lips curled slightly, revealing a dangerous smile, but he remained silent. Anlin raised her head and quickly added:

"I'll be going now if there's nothing else!"

She clutched her schoolbag high to her chest, wishing she had wings to escape this troublesome place. Baihu maintained his ambiguous, fake smile, watching her every move. Just as she brushed past him, he suddenly attacked.

He grabbed her wrist with lightning speed, twisted it behind her back, and skillfully used the force to cleanly and decisively slam her down onto the table.

"Ah!" Startled, An Lin screamed. The white tiger pinned her hands down, its captivating yet chillingly cold eyes looking down at her.

"What are you doing? Let go!" An Lin screamed, "Help! Help!" Driven by her female instincts, she felt fear and tried to bolster her courage by shouting. However, her cries for help did not move Bai Hu at all. He let her scream until she was hoarse without bothering to stop her, not even blinking an eye.

She didn't know how long she had been calling out, but she was exhausted and weary from shouting. Perhaps it was because it was midday, but not only did she fail to rescue anyone, she didn't even see a single curious onlooker. The sun outside was blazing, the sunlight so bright it almost blinded everyone, but that light was illusory; some people still disregarded the bright daylight and engaged in shady dealings.

For example, right now... she was firmly pressed onto the table by Baihu's strong arms, unable to move, at his mercy... just thinking about the misfortune that might follow, her petite body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Baihu clearly sensed her flustered state, so he smiled frivolously:

Are you in such a hurry to escape from me?

"You...please don't joke around..." An Lin was frantic, tears welling up in her eyes. "Let me go, I beg you!"

"Really?" Baihu gently stroked her soft hair, following its flow until his fingertips felt the smooth, dampness of her delicate skin. The moment he touched Anlin's cheek, she recoiled as if electrocuted, turning her head away.

"Don't you like me like this?" He leaned closer, his warm breath drawing her even closer. His sweet words were like poppies, poisonous yet irresistible. An Lin could barely bear his pressure, forced to close her eyes and shake her head repeatedly at him.

"I don't like it!" That's clearly what she meant.

“But I can hear your thoughts~” White Tiger said in a flippant tone, pressing his forehead against An Lin’s face, one of his favorite poses. He felt An Lin stiffen instantly.

"At least your body doesn't hate me as much as you say you do~" Baihu grabbed her chin, seemingly studying her resentful yet helpless expression. "Tell me honestly, do you like me?"

"You...!" An Lin was so angry she couldn't speak. Being pressed so close to him in such an intimate way made her incredibly embarrassed. But besides anger, why didn't she have the courage to struggle at all?

"Open your eyes," the White Tiger commanded. "Or is it that I've guessed what you're thinking, and you don't even dare to look at me?"

"No way!" An Lin shouted, her eyes snapping open. "I would never like you! You scoundrel!" she finally yelled.

Her feeble rebuke shot towards the white tiger, only to bounce back as if striking a layer of hard armor. The white tiger shrugged, looking utterly bewildered.